Depth electrodes have been utilized for a variety of brain-monitoring and brain-stimulating purposes related to epilepsy and a variety of movement disorders. For example, monitoring of electrical activity is important in ascertaining the focus of epileptogenic brain tissue and cells for the purpose of determining possibilities for later removal or treatment. Furthermore, highly-targeted electrical stimulation using depth electrodes has been used to suppress undesirable behavior resulting from various movement disorders.
Small brain-insertable catheters have been used for a variety of fluid-removal and drug-delivery purposes. Fluid removal is often necessary or helpful in connection with brain injuries; likewise highly-targeted drug delivery to very specific portions of brain tissue is useful in a variety of medical situations.
In a number of specific situations, insertion of both catheter devices and depth electrode devices is medically appropriate or helpful, but this of necessity has involved plural insertions into brain tissue. Fluid-movement and electrical functions are often needed or highly desirable at essentially the same locations within the brain tissue. It should be evident that insertions into brain tissue are risky procedures and that minimizing the number of insertions is desirable.
A wide variety of probes have been created and are available. However, there is a need for improvement in brain-insertable probes, and it is to this need that this invention is directed.